State enforcement profile · #26 of 56 by penalties
Workplace enforcement in Washington
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Washington has 5,445 employers in the federal enforcement record, with 11,410 OSHA inspections and $12.2M in penalties assessed. The state's Wage and Hour Division has recovered $40.2M in back wages across 966 enforcement cases.
- 5,445
- Employers
- 11,410
- Inspections
- $12.2M
- OSHA penalties
- $40.2M
- Back wages
The state in one line
Washington ranks #26 of 56 U.S. jurisdictions by total OSHA penalties, with 28,812 violations cited across 11,410 inspections and $40.2M in wages recovered for workers.
- #26
- of 56 states by penalties
- 2.53
- violations per inspection
- $2K
- avg penalty per employer
- 966
- WHD wage-theft cases
What to check next
Washington's enforcement record is one jurisdiction in a national pattern. Treat it as a benchmark to drill down from, not a verdict on the state overall.
- Washington averages 2.53 violations per inspection, above the 2.21 national average across 56 states.
- See Washington's single worst-cited employer in full detail. King County Metro Transit record
- Compare Washington against a similarly-sized state by employer count. Oregon record
- Put two employers head-to-head on inspections, penalties, and back wages. Compare employers
What the data says about Washington
Federal workplace enforcement in Washington covers 5,445 employers with 11,410 total OSHA inspections on record. Inspectors documented 28,812 violations statewide, yielding 2.53 violations per inspection on average. OSHA has assessed $12.2M in penalties against employers in the state, averaging $2K per tracked employer.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) adds a separate enforcement layer, recovering $40.2M in back wages across 966 cases - an average of $42K per case. Combined OSHA and WHD enforcement activity gives workers, journalists, and researchers a verifiable record of which employers have been cited and which workplaces regulators have prioritized.
The employers listed on this page represent workplaces with at least two OSHA inspections or $1,000 or more in WHD back wages owed. Data is sourced directly from data.dol.gov. Penalty figures are current assessed amounts, reflecting any settlements, informal conference reductions, or formal contest outcomes. Click any employer below to view their full inspection history, violation breakdown by severity, and wage-compliance record.
Where Washington ranks nationally
Average OSHA penalty per tracked employer, vs all 56 U.S. jurisdictions
$2,244 Bottom 9% least affordable more affordable than 9% of 56 U.S. jurisdictions
Each bar is a $2K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. jurisdictions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026
Top OSHA & wage enforcement actions in Washington
Ranked by combined OSHA penalties and DOL Wage & Hour Division back wages. Some employers below have wage-theft cases with zero OSHA safety violations, or vice versa; check the Inspections/Violations columns before drawing safety conclusions.
| # | Employer | Inspections | Violations | Penalty + wages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County Metro Transit Seattle | 2 | 2 | $3.3M |
| 2 | Zillow Seattle | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
| 3 | Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation Seattle | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 4 | Main Chinese Buffet Olympia | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 5 | General Dynamics Land System, Inc. Dupont | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 6 | Continental Floral Greens Shelton | 0 | 0 | $962K |
| 7 | Brothers Landscape Vashon Inc Vashon | 0 | 0 | $711K |
| 8 | Tubro Construction and Carpet Cleaning Auburn | 0 | 0 | $582K |
| 9 | Spa Therapy Bellingham | 0 | 0 | $521K |
| 10 | Azimetry Inc. Redmond | 0 | 0 | $436K |
| 11 | Pacific Glazing Solutions Woodinville | 0 | 0 | $388K |
| 12 | J & E Meza Plastering, Inc. Pasco | 0 | 0 | $381K |
| 13 | Partners Construction INC Seattle | 6 | 28 | $376K |
| 14 | Air Design Heating and Air Conditioning Spokane | 0 | 0 | $332K |
| 15 | Cannon Construction, Inc Milton | 0 | 0 | $327K |
| 16 | AEM Consulting, LLC Richland | 0 | 0 | $311K |
| 17 | People Tech Group Inc. Bellevue | 0 | 0 | $310K |
| 18 | Madison Manor & Edith Posadas, 3(d) Employer Tacoma | 0 | 0 | $290K |
| 19 | Evergreen Drywall LLC Puyallup | 0 | 0 | $286K |
| 20 | Sarbanand Farms Sumas | 2 | 2 | $270K |
All employers in Washington
Nearby states by enforcement footprint
Industries in Washington
Enforcement and wage-compliance data broken out by industry sector within Washington.
Top Cities in Washington
The 20 cities with the most employers in the federal enforcement record within Washington (of 142 total).
Source: OSHA Enforcement Data, U.S. Department of Labor · Verify with OSHA establishment search →
Source: Wage & Hour Division Compliance Actions, U.S. Department of Labor · DOL WHD data →
Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.